Hannah's Homecoming

Uncle Bob and Aunt Susie came by early Sunday morning to visit and tell you goodbye before heading back to Atlanta. 

The doctors made their rounds and you and I were cleared to go home. Mommy was a little nervous because you  were having a bit of trouble nursing. Apparently, you were an aggressive nurser and hurt my chest to the point I was bleeding. It was really painful for me when you latched on. We worked with the lactation consultant for quite sometime that morning. We decided it was best for me to pump and feed you until I healed. I had a hard time getting any milk out with the pump, so I had to supplement you with a tiny bit of formula for a two days. It killed me to do that, but at least you were getting some of my milk at each feeding.

Daddy and I got you all ready to go home. Your "going home" outfit was really special. The dress you wore was the dress I was brought home in, the bonnet was given to you by Grandmommy's best friend Sherry, the knit booties with the pink bow were Daddy's and the ones with the white bow were mine, and finally the blanket was my cousin Dawne's that she came home from the hospital in (made by our great aunt Musa). You were wrapped in generations of love!

Daddy carefully buttoning your gown

All ready to go!

Walking out of the hospital was a little surreal. Daddy and I were very excited to get you home and settled in, but it was a scary moment for sure. Could we really take care of this beautiful baby without a full medical staff at our disposal?

Daddy carefully put you in the car. Before you were born, we went to the police department to have the carseat base installed. We wanted to make sure you were safe riding with us.

Ready, set, go! Daddy drove and I sat in the back with you.

All strapped in and ready to go home. We're so glad Aunt Kris gave us the Snuzzler so the carseat didn't swallow you whole.

Grandmommy and Grandaddy left in the car ahead of us to capture your homecoming on the camera. Daddy drove about 5 mph on the way home! He was so careful with his precious cargo in the back.

Here we are pulling into the driveway. It was an exciting moment for us, although, you slept through the whole thing!

You had your first visitors right as we pulled into the drive way. Our next door neighbor, Mr. Fred, came over and brought a couple of his friends with him. He loved you and thought you were so sweet.  Mr. Fred has been a wonderful neighbor to us. He loved to keep Daisy while we were out of town and helped Daddy with DIY projects around the house. He was so excited about your arrival!

Daddy and I were thrilled to get you home. You were such a tiny little thing!

We brought Daisy outside to introduce her to you. We were told to bring her to a neutral place so she'd be more likely to accept you. Earlier, Grandmommy and Grandaddy talked to her about your arrival and showed her your coming home dress.

Daisy was VERY interested in what Daddy was holding in his arms. Grandaddy had to help me hold her back. She was pulling us so hard!

Daisy is smelling you and checking you out. She was wagging her tail and grunting trying to get closer.

She knew Daddy was holding something very special and even gave you a few licks. Daddy was very protective of you and was a little nervous that Daisy was getting to close.

Daisy's still not quite sure about you yet. She spend a lot of time smelling you...

But she thinks you're pretty cool and is excited about you joining the family.

You were worn out by the time we finally got settled. You spent the first night in your bassinet in Mommy and Daddy's room. I didn't get much sleep. I wasn't accustomed to all of your noises and what they meant, since I opted to have you stay in the nursery at night while in the hospital. I woke up at your every sound to check on you. You slept fairly well and only got up twice to eat.

Welcome home Hannah!!!!!

Our first full day with you

We only stayed in the hospital a day and a half after you were born. You and I were both lucky not to have any serious complications. I have to say, I really liked staying at Sky Ridge Hospital. Women who have delivered there, fondly refer to it as "Spa Ridge." There's a lot of truth in that. The rooms were super nice and very spacious. There were plenty of movie channels and great cable TV. The food was outstanding and made to order. The nurses provided excellent care. I was a little sad when they kicked us out on Sunday. I was hoping for a Monday morning release. 

The nurse brought you to us bright and early Saturday morning. Daddy and I were excited to spend some time with you before the doctors began their rounds. The nurses came in and checked me, followed by Dr. Kyriazi to check you, then the lady who conducted your hearing test, the lactation consultant to see how you were nursing and finally Dr. Wagar to check up on both of us. You were so cute! The nurses made a little bow for your hat and you were very alert. 

You are clearly a Daddy's girl :)

Taking a nap

Dr. Wagar did a fantastic job delivering you and taking care of me. 

Grandmommy teaching Daddy how to change your diaper. He did a great job according to Grandmommy!

I was clearly tired in this picture, but I just couldn't put you down to rest.

 Uncle Bob and Aunt Sue came back to visit you again.

They even brought you some Alabama gear to wear during the game. Daddy was so happy and couldn't WAIT to get you into it. He already had the Bama Baby bib that Mimi and Smooth sent you. It was a bit big for you, so we put it on Big Al for safe keeping. Roll Tide!

Sandy came to visit you in the hospital. She brought us wonderful treats, including AMAZING cupcakes: red velvet with buttercream frosting, mocha, key lime and raspberry. I was in heaven! I'm sure you recognized her voice too since you heard a lot of it while in my belly.

Our first full day with you was wonderful! We can't wait for more!

On the Wonderful, Marvelous Night You Were Born... 9.24.10

"For you are fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139

I loved being pregnant. I really did. Most women would think I'm crazy making that comment. You were good to me. In fact, you were amazing to carry. I never had a problem until the last few weeks and even those were minor. I secretly loved the extra tests the OB ran to check in on you. I got a few extra ultra sounds and was hooked up to a heart rate monitor for 30 minutes where I sat and listened to your sweet heartbeat. It was heaven! I loved your little kicks and already miss them so much. I remember telling your daddy that I would miss being pregnant because you would no longer be a part of me physically, it would no longer be just you and me. Don't get me wrong, I was exctied about sharing you, holding you and snuggling with you. There's just something miraculous about carrying a baby. It's beautiful! I was self-concious about my big belly (mostly because EVERYONE and their brother felt it was their place to comment on it), but I really did love it. I loved rubbing it and knowing you were so close. I loved carrying you!

Your due date was on September 20th, 2010. We all thought you were going to make an early appearance. I was progressing each week, so much so that Grandmommy changed her original flight to come in a few days earlier than planned. I was 2 cm dilated and 80ish percent effaced at my 39 week appointment and had been having contractions on and off for a few weeks. Little did we know, you had other plans. I certainly did my part to encourage you to come once Grandmommy came into town. I tried all the of the old wives tales: eating hot foods (think spicy burrito with habanero salsa), pineapple, drinking Aveda tea (apparently their herbal tea has been known to send women into labor), licorice, eggplant and the list goes on. Grandmommy and I also walked at least two miles a day to Starbucks and back.

Sunday, September 19th: Qdoba Burrito...notice the hot sauces I've chosen to pour on.

Monday, September 20th: Your due date

Wednesday, September 22nd: Grandmommy and I walked the mile to Starbucks and back every morning to encourage labor. Grandaddy also arrived on the 22nd.

I am all belly!

Thursday, September 23rd: Dinner at Olive Garden- Eggplant Parmesan

September 20th came and went. You were stubborn and wanted to come in your own time. My 40 week appointment was on September 21st (a Tuesday). Daddy, Grandmommy and I all went to see Dr. Chu together. We had some decisions to make. After talking with Dr. Chu for a long time, we made the decision for me to be induced on September 24th. There were a lot of factors that played into that decision, the main one being the short timeline your dad and I were on to get to Chicago after your birth. We wanted to make sure you were well taken care of before we had to move to an area where we didn't know a sole, including healthcare professionals.

September 24th, 2010

Daddy and I had to be at the hospital at 6:00am. Before I left the house, I ate a power bagel from Einstein Bagels with peanut butter. I knew it was going to be a long day and would be my last meal before your arrival (that was also my pre-marathon meal, HA!).

Grandmommy and Grandaddy got up early to see us off and take one last picture at the house before heading to the hospital

We arrived at the hospital earlier than scheduled. I was so nervous about the day ahead. I think it was more of not knowing what to expect than anything else. Daddy was excited! I remember sitting in the waiting area while they prepped our room and processed the paperwork. We were still discussing what your middle name would be. We had it narrowed down to two names and kept flipping back and forth between the two. We talked about how we were feeling about the day ahead and the excitement and joy you would bring. We also talked about a "game plan" for taking pictures and documenting the event.

We got back to the labor and delivery room about 7:15-7:30am. Below, is my last belly shot before your arrival. It was officially taken at 40 weeks and 4 days.

We had a great L&D room, complete with a view of downtown Denver. It was a BEAUTIFUL and very warm day in Denver.

They started me on Pitocin around 8:30am to get the contractions going. I was feeling pretty good. I really couldn't feel the contractions, although I was having them and they were apparently pretty big according to the monitor.  In fact, I was feeling well enough to play Blackjack and Poker with Daddy and Grandaddy. We had fun trying to pass the time. At this point, labor was pretty awesome! I was chatting with friends and family on the phone and eating popsicles until my little heart was content. CLEARLY, I didn't know what was coming.  Ignorance is bliss, right?

The original plan was to break my water around lunch time. My OB got stuck in surgery, so they broke my water a little later than expected. Dr. Wager finally had a nurse break my water at 2:30pm. After that, things started to pick up. I REALLY started feeling the contractions. Grandmommy and Grandaddy left for lunch and to check on Daisy. It's probably a good thing they did. I was in an extreme amount of pain. At 3:30pm, I told Daddy to order the epidural. I was having back to back contractions with NO time to rest between them. When the anesthesiologist hadn't arrived at 4:00pm, I STRONGLY suggested Daddy do everything he could to get them in the room. Your Daddy was a trooper. He stood beside me the entire time, talking me through every contraction and provided so much comfort for me. Finally, the anesthesiologist came around 4:30pm. The pain I felt getting the epidural paled in comparison to the pain of contractions.

Feeling a bit better after getting the epidural.

Grandmommy and Grandaddy made it back

The contraction and heart rate monitor. You can see your heart rate in the blue section and my contractions in the bottom section.

Uncle Bob and Aunt Susie flew in for the main event. It was amazing having them by my side and cheering me on.

I was having a bit of trouble with the epidural taking full effect. My left side was A-ok, but I could still feel quite a bit of pain on the right. After trying to wait it out for a couple of hours, the anesthesiologist came back in to tweak the medication. Boy, did that work! I was once again comfortable and ready to rest a bit. Wrong again, the nurse came in and checked me. Her exact words were "oh, hi honey, I can feel your head." I think my eyes were as big as saucers at that point. "What?" I said. The nurse said, "You're ready to deliver." She called Dr. Wagar to alert him to my status.

Daddy gave me an encouraging kiss before the pushing began

At about 9:00pm, I started pushing. Daddy, Grandmommy and the nurse were the only ones in the room. Grandmommy held one leg, while the nurse held the other. Daddy helped me in the beginning by pushing my back forward during the contractions. When the nurse saw your head beginning to emerge, Daddy quickly moved more towards holding my leg so he could see you. As you began to crown, everyone in the room encouraged me to reach down and feel your head. I was a little hesitant and I'll admit that when I did, it did freak me out a bit. In the end, I'm really glad I did. They also wheeled a mirror in for a few minutes so I could see you. That was a little much for me in the moment, but again, I'm glad I did it. You were good to me during delivery. You actually gave me a little bit of time to rest between contractions (3-5 minutes!). Dr. Wagar was impressed at how fast I progressed and how fast you were delivered from when I started pushing. At 10:17pm, I heard the most wonderful sound in the entire world and saw the most beautiful miracle.  You had arrived! I remember your big, wide eyes just staring at us. I remember you crying a little bit at first, but then you were just looking around and stunned.

Daddy did a WONDERFUL job documenting your arrival from your first breath. He even got to cut your cord! I asked for you to be cleaned off before handing you over to me. Daddy stayed with you the entire time. You recognized his voice and calmed down when he talked to you. You held on to his fingers for dear life on the warming table.

Daddy getting everything on camera.... look at that big smile on his face!!!

7lbs and 9oz! and you were 20 inches long!

Getting suctioned

Footprints

First bath

You've got daddy wrapped around your little finger already

Meeting Momma face-to-face

Our beautiful baby girl

First family picture. We are so in love with you!

I was able to nurse you almost immediately after they put you in my arms. You knew exactly what to do!  You had NO trouble latching on and you were quite efficient.

After about an hour, the rest of the family got to come back and visit you. It was then that we announced your name to everyone. Daddy and I counted to three and said your name in unison: Hannah Kathryn Vance

Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob meeting you.

Hannah and Grandaddy

Grandmommy and Hannah

Filling out all the paperwork to make your name official! 

I opted to have you sleep in the nursery after everything settled down. Daddy and I needed some rest for sure. The nurses brought you to me every three hours for you to eat. You were so sweet! and I loved waking up to a nurse handing you over to me. I just stared at you, my daughter. You were perfect! I cherished those early nursing periods. Those were some of the only moments where it was just you and me.

Daddy and I are so proud to be your parents, Hannah Kathryn. You are an amazing, wonderful, precious baby girl. We are so in love with you!